Serbia and Montenegro (SMATSA) and European Satellite Service Providers (ESSP) have signed two EGNOS work contracts, which is the first step in applying access procedures based on EGNOS service at airports in Serbia and Montenegro.

EGNOS is a European satellite system whose primary purpose is to improve the performance of global satellite navigation systems such as GPS and Galileo in the future. This is of crucial importance for the application of modern ways of aircraft navigation in the instrumental approach to landing, using the so-called PBN methods, for which the experts opted as the most visible and fastest way to launch a night start at Tivat Airport.

"Signing these agreements confirmed the compliance of SMATSA with the requirements of the European Initiative for the Unique Sky and the solution to the fulfillment of the strategic goals for the development of the future European air transport system," said SMATSA, which provides navigation and sightseeing services over Serbia and Montenegro.

Text by Sinisa Lukovic, on February 13th 2019, read more at Vijesti

16 February 2019 - On Saturday evening, Rotary Club Kotor hosted a masquerade ball fundraiser for medical equipment at the business centre "Vukšić D-Event”. The collected funds will be used for the purchase of a colposcopy machine for the Public Health Institution “Health Centre Tivat”.

Thanks to the donations by the members of the Rotary Club Kotor and also by more than 120 officials, a total of 7.790 EUR was collected on this occasion.

The aim of this event by the Rotary Club Kotor was to raise money to purchase medical equipment which will help diagnose, investigate and treat patients. They stand to benefit those members of the local community who may need to use the purchased equipment. It was no surprise that Montenegrin companies and individuals decided to support this purpose, but the members of the Rotary Club were still surprised by the turnout.

The campaign was attended by numerous companies and individuals who have allocated funds for this purpose including the Municipality of Tivat, the Tourist Organisation of Tivat, the Airports of Montenegro, Rotary Club Bar, Voli Trade, the Bus Station Tivat, Rotary Club Pljevlja, Tivat Water Supply, Montefish, Ivan Stipanić from Tivat, Besix Tivat, Tea Gallery Tivat, NGO Maškarada, Kovinić Company, Komunalno Tivat, Račica, Yachting Services - Marković, Dubovina Tivat, Apoteka "Poen", Arh Ing, A Team, Object, Mansa Medica, Đurović Inženjering, Nikola Radulović, Dejo Pajovic, Larisa Company, Gani Resulbegovic, UNA, Status and Dika Saveljić.

The organisers of the event also prepared a lottery, and the collected money from the ticket sales will be used for the purchase of the aforementioned medical equipment. Lottery prizes were provided by members of the Rotary Club Kotor, as well as the Kotor and Tivat companies Dry Cleaner "Limili", beauty salon "Beauty", Meridian DMC, hairdresser "Isidora", dry cleaner "Polar Clean", Beauty Center "Queen" tavern "Bacchus", Caffe Sapori, beauty salon "Žana", hairdresser "Helena", perfumery "Life", hairdresser "Belami", florist "Nina", hairdresser "Miro", "City Hall", "KLM" Tivat, FBZ "Bajlo", Vlado Hair Design, "Big Ben", hotel "La Roche" and restaurant "Bevanda", DOO "Shells of Booka", "Blue Laguna", "Minjon" pastry shop, "Forza" cafe and "Organic Concept Store". NGO Karampana and Olivera-Olja Risteljić handed masks, thus traditionally contributing to the success of the donor ball.

The event was organized in the spirit of the carnival tradition presented to the guests of Kotor from the Rotary clubs of the District 2483 through the program featuring NVU Maškarada, which also responded to the humanitarian action, as well as the Mažoretke of the dance club Bellissima from Tivat.

February 16, 2019 - Within the Strip Weekend that is hosted by the Herceg Novi Strip Festival (HSF) in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy and the Herceg Fest, the big party under masks, the Wild West - Saloon Masquerade Party, with masked guests rewards, will be held at People's Beach Bar on Saturday, 16 February from 9 pm.

15 February 2019 - On his visit to United Nations Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (UNESCO), Minister of Culture and President of the National Commission for UNESCO Aleksandar Bogdanović also spoke with Audrey Azoulay, General Manager of the organization. 

Minister Bogdanović expressed the pleasure that Montenegro currently has four entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List, two of which are independent - the Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of Kotor and the National Park Durmitor, as well as two multinational nominations - Stećci - medieval cemeteries and Venetian fortifications from the 16th to the 17th centuries, which testifies to the richness of the natural and cultural heritage of Montenegro. 

The meeting paid special attention to the state of the Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of Kotor. Minister Bogdanovic informed Director Azoulay about all activities undertaken by Montenegro to preserve the outstanding universal values of the area, in cooperation with international experts in this field. "By adopting the Action Plan for reaching the requirements of the Committee from Istanbul in 2016, the Government of Montenegro expressed its readiness to firmly address this issue and position it high on the list of its priorities. Therefore, I am confident that, with the support of UNESCO, we will preserve Kotor on the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture World Heritage List," Minister Bogdanović said. 

Director Azoulay expressed satisfaction with all efforts made by Montenegro and pointed out that UNESCO is paying particular attention to the activities of all stakeholders in the area, concluding that the progress is evident and that Montenegro is expected to continue to work towards meeting the UNESCO requirements. 

Furthermore, the meeting discussed the National Park Durmitor and the need for consistent implementation of recommendations from the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture Advisory Mission Report, which will be delivered soon. 

Both sides agreed that it is necessary to protect UNESCO values in all protected areas, but at the same time to ensure their sustainable development, which is possible only with the good coordination of all partners in the process. 

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Montenegro to France and UNESCO Permanent Delegate Dragica Ponorac, Administration for the Protection of Cultural Properties of Božidar Božović and Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO of Montenegro Milica Nikolić also attended the meeting.

14 February 2019 - The decision of the Agency for Electronic Media of Montenegro (AEM) to ban programs that potentially can be harmful to children came to the approval of the Montenegrin public.

Nevertheless, correspondents of the News Agency Dnevne novine point out that this ban should be applied consistently, and that parents continue to play a key role in protecting children from harmful content.

The Executive Director of the Association, Kristina Mihailović, notes that an inappropriate content on television, which is becoming more and more popular, can send children a bad message that this harmful behaviour is acceptable and desirable. "It is known exactly what the children should look at and what is prohibited under certain conditions. The fact is that these contents are harmful and that we should be especially careful about this, "says Mihailović.

On the other hand, Mihailović highlights that there is still the effect of the Internet and that this prohibition cannot protect the children from harmful content. "It is not realistic that such a decision will make the children stop looking at all content that is not appropriate, but then again, it will, in some way, create an impression that such content should not be displayed in the first place. At the organisation Parent's corner, we talked about this subject, and the psychologist explained that when a parent starts explaining to the children why something is forbidden, that can also be the reason to start a discussion about something that is not a regular subject between parents and children. Certainly, the inappropriate content must be a reason for a talk between children and parents, because in this story the parental role is crucial, "Mihailović said.

Sociologist Mirjana Popovic, however, believes that the ban on the broadcasting of inappropriate content for children is necessary, especially in the context of the society in which we live, "in the context of the penetration of quasi-liberal social values".

"Perhaps the prohibition, as a prohibition of broadcasting, would be undesirable if the media would offer different contents of educational, informational material intended for children, but these contents are very few, even not broadcast, or again when they carry the title “for children”, their content is often not adequate" Popović said for Dnevne novine.

The psychologist of the Examination Centre, Zorica Minć, told DN that she was looking forward to the decision of the AEM, because this decision, as she explains, is a sign that it is necessary to review and ban some content that is being broadcasted every day.

Source: TVCG

14 February 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović met with the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Mechtild Rössler. Minister Bogdanović informed Director Rössler about the current topics and policies implemented by Montenegro regarding the four assets enrolled at the UNESCO World Heritage List, two of which are independent: the Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of Kotor and the National Park Durmitor and two multinational serial nominations: Stećci - medieval cemeteries and Venetian fortifications from the 16th to the 17th centuries. 

Minister Bogdanović stressed the importance of the transnational serial nomination of beech forests in Biogradska gora, bearing in mind the fact that it is one of the unspoiled forests of Europe. 

The meeting discussed the issues of the Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of Kotor, which is a particularly important field of cooperation between Montenegro and the World Heritage Centre and the Committee to safeguard the exceptional universal values of this area in the best possible way and preserve its status on the World Heritage List. 

Furthermore, Minister Bogdanović presented activities related to the National Park Durmitor. "We are ready to begin the process of defining the boundaries of the buffer zone, and it is very important for us to enable sustainable development of Durmitor and to fully protect UNESCO values," Minister Bogdanović said. 

Minister Bogdanović emphasised developments in cooperation with the United Nations Office in Montenegro regarding the reconstruction of the Forte Mare Fortress in Herceg Novi as a potential extension of the Venetian fortifications. 
He expressed the need for continued cooperation with UNESCO to better protect the areas in Montenegro that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Montenegro to France and UNESCO Permanent Delegate UNESCO Dragica Ponorac, Administration for the Protection of Cultural Properties of Božidar Božović and Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO of Montenegro Milica Nikolić also attended the meeting.